From the two lists, a group of at least seven should be selected and contacted by the department head or delegate, as indicated in the unit guidelines. It is recommended that about equal number of letters be solicited from the candidate and department lists. A minimum of three (3) letters included in the dossier must be from the unit-suggested list. External letters cannot be requested from the “do not contact” list submitted by the candidate. The number of requests declined and/or not responded to should be closely monitored to ensure that the minimum number of letters from qualified reviewers is obtained before review. If needed, the unit will ask the candidate for additional reviewers to ensure a balanced distribution of letters from each list. If an external letter writer discloses a potential conflict of interest, the unit must solicit an additional letter to ensure the minimum of five (5) letters is met. The original letter would remain in the file and listed under the "non-arm's length" section of the Reviewers Chart.
Letters are solicited through Interfolio using the University Standard External Reviewer Letter Template. College/schools will have the option to modify the solicitation letter based on the need of their discipline, but must obtain approval from Faculty Affairs prior to making any changes. Units can send a preliminary message to the potential reviewers to notify them of the upcoming request through Interfolio, but should not provide the candidate’s dossier information as part of this message. Units will be asked to provide a short biography for each reviewer, highlighting specific qualifications and credentials.
In general, external reviewers are asked to evaluate the candidate’s scholarly reputation and achievements in the discipline. Therefore, it is appropriate to provide examples of the candidate’s work to include as an attachment to the Interfolio request (e.g., representative publications, portfolios). If a reviewer is asked to judge an individual’s teaching effectiveness, it is recommended that they be sent a teaching portfolio or equivalent materials to review.
Information for all external reviewers contacted must be submitted as an excel file in the Reviewers Chart plus a separate reviewer biography. In this chart, the unit indicates which reviewers were suggested by the candidate and which by the unit, the reason for declination if known, and a justification for the reviewer’s qualifications if relevant. The department head and dean should review this information during their evaluation and request that the department committee recruit additional letters if 1) the minimum number of five has not been reached, 2) the required five reviewers includes faculty who are not at peer institutions or programs, 3) the required five reviewers includes faculty who are not arms length from the candidate, or 4) the required five reviewers includes faculty who are associate professors on dossiers undergoing review for promotion to full. Files that reach Faculty Affairs that do not meet these requirements for external reviewer letters will be returned to the department to request additional letters.